L’ete. Je l’adore.

Oui, I do speak French. Not that you’d know … I think that’s gone mainly unsaid and unspoken till now. So for the record: I am a total francophile.

I’ve always had an affinity for France … it’s all those past lives spent in France. I’ve spent much time in France –  a study abroad stint and many wonderful travels and trips … including this summer. See. There IS an actual reason I’ve disappeared for two + months. Okay, Okay, enough of my pathetic excuses. But I was serious about the France trip.

It’s so invigorating to immerse yourself in a foreign country … all those sights, sounds and smells of delicious Nutella Crepes being made — of all the amazing French food, that’s what I craved each day. I swear my nose was able to smell its way to the closest creperie stand. When in France …

This trip was especially different because it was the first time my mom (most of my trips are and have been with my mother – a fabulous traveling partner in crime) and I rented a car. In a foreign country. Period.

I tend to be on the more adventurous side, and have been wanting to do a driving tour for the past few years. Maman on the other hand wasn’t so sure about my “inspiring” idea. It took me vowing to do all the driving and reminding her that passengers are able to legally imbibe in a moving motor vehicle. Enough said. She was in.

We took my favorite Air France flight – the 23:15 from D.C. into Charles de Gaulle. It’s my fave because the time. It’s late enough that you’re tired and actually might be able to sleep and arrives early enough in the afternoon that you can make it through the whole day and head to bed at a (somewhat) normal time.

Our Route {in brief}:

D.C. to Paris

Paris to Reims (home of Champagne. All the Veuve you can drink, my dream come true) via TGV

Reims to Lyon via TGV

Lyon to Le Puy-en-Velay via TE (that’s Tellement Enorme – the nickname for our huge ass Mercedes, more to come on that later)

Le Puy to Albi (TE)

Albi to Carcassonne (TE)

Carcassonne to Avignon (TE)

Avignon to Aix-en-Provence (TE)

Aix to Marseille (TE)

Marseille to Paris via TGV

Details and discussions to come later. As if that trip wasn’t fabulous enough for one summer, I have just returned from Up North. For some reason everyone Up North capitalizes Up North. I get the North part, but not the Up. Whatever. The trip was incredible. It was DL 2011, after such a successful run of DL 2010, we knew we just had to go back for more.

Speaking of more, more on all of the above … soon … hopefully soon is less than but no greater than two months.